Communication systems typically include address books for users of the system. These address books contain contact information for personal lists created by the user, company-wide contact lists available for all company users, or both. The address book information may be integrated within the system to include a variety of contact information for each contact, such as telephone, email, and physical addresses. Typically, the user can initiate communication to an address book contact quickly by selecting the contact from the list, e.g., mouse-click, stylus, highlight, etc., and the mode of communication, e.g., phone call.
As long as the contact information is accurate, address books are a highly useful and efficient tool. One problem is that contact information is ever-changing. For instance, contacts may change employers or service providers and thus, the contact's address and information changes. Maintaining updated information for contacts is critical to retain the accuracy of the address book and to facilitate communication with the contact, as well as for the contacts attempting to reach the user.
Microsoft® Office Outlook®, one of the leading contact management platforms, offers a variety of techniques to update address books. Outlook's scheme is based on simple file replication updates between peers. This allows a group of contacts to remain updated between participating peers but, unfortunately, does not update with the larger Internet community.
Software products are available to augment the Outlook products by replicating update information between different systems. However, these products often require a subscription to special networked communities that are paid for and managed outside of the user's enterprise. Additionally, these products typically require installation of special plug-ins and other software that must be purchased, installed and maintained on an already complex user desktop environment.
A unique communication problem arises when a user permanently leaves an employer. For example, let's assume Steve terminates employment at ABC Company and begins working at XYZ Company. It is likely that his business and personal contacts will continue to attempt to reach Steve at ABC for some time after his departure. Assuming Steve's extension has not been given to another employee, ABC can reject calls to Steve's previous number and then route the call to an operator or to Steve's new number at XYZ Company. However, Company ABC is not in the business of permanently routing prior employee's phone calls. Moreover, ABC may be unknowingly transferring new business from ABC directly to XYZ Company.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to redirect communications to new contact information as well as automatically update the caller's address book with the new information. Additionally, it would be desirable to screen communications to answer the calls that are directed to the business so that callers are not redirected outside the company erroneously.